The evening was chilly and silent, the sun hung on the horizon, slowly setting and the breeze that blew in was cold, causing goosebumps to form on the skin but Omar didn't bother to get up to shut the windows. He laid on the bed, staring up at the ceiling feeling torn and exhausted and alone and all round broken. These past few days had stretched him emotionally so much so that he felt used. He felt like he couldn't do anything right and to think that all these drama happened in only a week, if a medium had told him that his life would be spun recklessly this way in such short time, he wouldn't have believed. But it had happened, he was being offered power on a golden platter in his marriage to the princess and in exchange for that, he would have to give up on love, give up totally on his woman, that was the price to pay. He wasn't willing, it was just too expensive and power wasn't something he wanted, he had had his share of the taste of power and he knew that more wou

Khalid bin Aaban reclined in the back seat of the Mercedes driving down the road in so much speed, his feet tapping impatiently on the floor of the car and his thoughts swam about wildly in his messed up mind, and to think that his well thought out and long term plan was finally going to be executed in the way he wanted it to go, why did things have to go haywire in the last minute? What did Prince Aazim think he was doing by attempting to mess up his well thought out plan? Did he perhaps find out about his true motive? Khalid shook his head negatively, he had been extremely discreet and careful and he never told any one about his own selfish plans, yes call him selfish because he knew that he was but this had taken him years to set up and he had been too patient, exercising it down to extreme thinness and would be carelessly allow it be blown away with the wind like dry chaff thrown up in the air? Never, he was always careful never to say them out loud even when he was alo

Mariam sat in front of the mirror in silence and stared at her image as the women applied ointments on her face and neck, while also adding colour to her cheeks, eye lids and lips. Her arms which were weighed down by the volume of bangles on them rested heavily on her laps and her body felt numb, she couldn't feel the many hands on her body and she didn't even see her own reflection staring back at her even as she gazed into the large mirror. because her mind wandered. She was getting married to Omar, the man she had come to develop strange feelings for, the man who loved another, and the man who had told her bluntly to her face that her would never love her.  She broke. It would have been better if she didn't know how he felt for her, if she didn't know whether he liked her or not or what he thought of her. It would have been much better not to know because that ignorance was truly bliss and she had dwelt in that ignorant bliss. Loving him was not what she had wan

Parvina came to stand closer to Mariam, her fingers interlocked and she swayed left and right with each word she said, batting her eye lashes like a doll and smiling."I think you're shy because it is Omar who is waiting in a different hall to be married to you." She teased, nudging Mariam with her elbow. Mariam laughed."Because it is Omar,I think that is all the more reason not to be shy, don't you think so Saadiya?" Mariam defended."I agree. Now stop your teasing Parvina and let's go." Saadiya said, shoving Parvina to the side lightly with her shoulder."But think about it, what do you think Omar would look like?" Parvina pressed on.Mariam and Saadiya shared confused looks. "Errr... Like he always does?" "No, no, no. That's different. He looks like he always does on normal, regular days but today is regular, or... maybe normal. You get what I'm trying to say?""Well..." Mariam started thinking about it. The man was drop dead handsome amd just imaginin

Concealed behind the headboard of Mariam's bed was a small compartment in the walls where she had hidden swords and small throw knives and with the help of the women, they moved the bed forward so they could gain access to them. As they gathered their choice of weapons, Omar stepped out of the bathroom, what he saw left his mouth hanging in surprise. Mariam had changed from her wedding dress and was now in a black outfit that matched with what the assassins were wearing and so was Parvina and Saadiya. They covered the half of their faces from their noses down to their chin with a piece of black transparent cloth which they tied behind their heads but left their hairs exposed and held up in a single pony tail.  Mariam was gone. The Mariam he knew was gone. The petite, shy, frail and somewhat bold girl he knew was replaced by this intimidating young lady figure all dressed in black. They turned to stared at him when they noticed he had come out of the bathroom."Maria